Egg-carrier.



N'o. 722,512. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1903.

H. s. JENNE. EGG CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. B, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 1 1 v I i Z Z1 I I I z v or 'v w I v ZU *a I WITNESSES: LVVEJV'IOR a ATTORNEY. gym

PNOTO-LITHOH wnsumsmu B c UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

HENRY S. JENNE, ONEIDA, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,512, dated March 10, 1903. Application filed December 8,1902. Serial No. 134,271. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. J ENNE, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of Oneida, in the county of Madison and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Egg-Carriers, of which the'fol- This invention relates to the class of eg carriers which are designed for use'by dealers in eggs in delivering the eggs to the consumers.

The object of the invention istoprovide an egg-carrier which shall effectually guard against accidental breakage of the eggs during their delivery to the consumer and shall furnish to the consumer a suitable receptacle for the delivered eggs and permit immediate return of the emptied carrier to the dealer, and the object also is to permit convenient assemblage of the component parts of the egg-carrier, so as to facilitate its manufacture and the repairs or renewal of said parts; and to that end the invention consists in the improved construction and combination of the component parts of the egg-carrier, as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the egg-carrier in the condition required during transportation of the eggs. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line X X in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the egg-carrier. Fig. 4 is a horizontal transverse section on line Y Y in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the egg-carrier empty and in condition for receiving the eggs, and Fig. 6 is a side view showing the egg-carrier in position for depositing the eggs in the receptacle which previously served as a cover of the egg-carrier during its transit to the place of delivery of the eggs.

In the said drawings, A represents the case of the egg-carrier. I provided on their inner sides with vertical grooves a a, into which are inserted the end edges of the partitions h I), usually formed of thin pasteboard or paper of medium stiffness and disposed in parallel longitudinal rows crossing parallel transverse rows and forming between them the pockets 0 c for recep- The walls of this case are tion of the eggs, which are placed in upright positions therein. The partitions are made to interlock with each other'at their intersections by means of vertical slits in the lower portions of the partitions running in one direction' and in the upper portions of the crossing partitions, through which slits the integral portions of the partitions pass in the usual manner. 1 (Not necessary tobe shown.)

The bottom (1 of the case A is formed of suitable flexible material,which may be either wire-netting or pasteboard, preferably the latter, for economyin the manufacture of the egg-carrier. This bottom is supported upon cleats e 6, extending across the case'A and nailed or otherwise suitably fastened to the under sides of the walls of the case. The said cleats are placed directly under and parallel with the partitions and are beveled at their tops in opposite directions from the partitions to preserve the elasticity of the portions of the bottom d which are under the pockets 0 c.

. When the bottom 01 is formed of pasteboard, as aforesaid, I provide it with an aperture f in the center of each portion which constitutes the bottom of one of the pockets 0, said aperture forming an annular seat for the end of the egg contained in the pocket 0. The portion of the egg thus exposed through the aperture f is protected by the cleats e, carrying the bottom d, isolated from any underlying article upon which the egg-carrier may be placed; 7 V

The partitions b b are retained in "the grooves a a by means of locking devices engaging the ends of those partitions which pass with their integral top portions through the slits in the crossing partitions. Said locking devices may be of any suitable form. I prefer, however, to construct them of rods g g, disposed in grooves o 0, extending across the exteriors of the end walls of the case A, in which grooves the said rods are retained by suitable guides h, attached to the case and permitting the rods to be moved longitudinally. Each of these rods is formed with laterally-projecting ears 2', which pass through slots j and engage the end edges of the partitions b b.

By sliding the rods g longitudinally the cars 41 are caused to release the partitions when desired to remove or renew said partitions.

The rods 9 g are made of sufficient length to cause the ends thereof to abut against the inner sides of the ends of the side walls of the case, and thus retain said rods in their engagement with the partitions. To move the rods longitudinally out of said engagement, the operator pries one of the ends of each rod outward suflioiently to clear the ends of the side walls of the case and allow the rods to be shifted, as aforesaid.

0 represents a cover designed to be placed over the eggs in the case A and protect the tops of the eggs during transit of the egg-carrier to the place of delivery of the eggs. This cover is of the shape of a tray or pan for the purpose hereinafter described and is placed inverted over the eggs. The top portions of the ends of the partitions are cut away sufficiently to accommodate the flanges C of the tray, which flanges afford additional protec- 'tion, to the eggs. To confine the said cover over the eggs, I employ a bar I, which extends across the top of the cover and top of the case A and is formed with downwardlydeflected portions Z Z at the exterior of the case and terminated in horizontal extensions Z 1 which extend in corresponding directions from the bar Z and are disposed in grooves 12 n in the exterior of the case. These grooves allow the bar extensions Z l to slide longitudinally to carry the bar Z from its aforesaid cover-confining position to the end of the case A, where it releases the cover to allow it to be removed from the case when desired to deliver the eggs therefrom. This delivery of the eggs is greatlyfacilitated by inverting the case A, with the cover C maintained therein. The said cover is thereby converted into a tray or pan, into which all the eggs aredelivered at once by the operator lifting the case from said tray. This delivery of the eggs is thus efiected in a most expeditious, safe, and convenient manner and allows the egg-carrier to be immediately returned to the dealer for future use. What I claimas my invention is-- 1. An egg-carrier consisting of a case provided with partitions forming eg -receiving pockets, cleats extending across the bottom of the case and disposed directly under and parallel with the partitions, and an elastic bottom supported on said cleats and maintained elastic under the aforesaid pockets as set forth.

2. An egg-carrier consisting of a case provided with partitions forming egg-receiving pockets, a removable cover formed with a flange interposed between the walls of the case and ends of the upper portions of the partitions, and means adjustably connected to the case for engaging and releasing said cover as set forth.

3. An egg-carrier consisting of a case provided with cleats extending across the bottom of the case, an elastic bottom supported over said cleats, removable partitions forming eg -receiving pockets, and ears sustained on the case movably to and from engagement with the ends of the partitions as set forth.

4. In an egg-carrier, the combination of a case provided with vertical grooves and partitions sustained removably in said grooves, of longitudinallymovable rods extending across the ends of the case and provided with laterally-projecting ears engaging the ends of the partitions as set forth.

5. In an egg-carrier, the combination of a case provided with vertical grooves and partitions sustained vertically movable in said grooves, of flexible longitudinally-movable rods disposed in grooves extending across the ends of the exterior of the case and provided with laterally-projecting ears engaging the ends of the partitions, and stops on the case limiting the movement of said rods as set forth.

6. In an eg -carrier, the combination of a case provided with partitions having the upper portions of their end edges clear from the interior of the case, and a tray-shaped cover disposed inverted in the case and having its flanges passing across the clear portions of the ends of the partitions as set forth.

7. In an egg-carrier, the combination of a case provided with partitions having the top portions of the end edges clear from the sides of the case, an inverted-tray-shaped cover having its flanges passing across the clear portions of the ends of the partitions, and a bar extending across the top of said cover and formed with longitudinal end extensions sustained longitudinally movable on the case.

8. In an egg-carrier, the combination of a case provided with horizontal grooves in optoo posite sides, a cover disposed removably in v the case, and a bar extending across the top of said cover and formed with horizontal end extensions sliding in the aforesaid grooves, and stops limiting said movement of the bar as set forth.

9. An egg-carrier consisting of a case provided with vertical grooves in its interior and horizontal grooves in the exterior of its sides and ends, cleats extending across the bottom of the case, an elastic bottom supported on said cleats, partitions sustained vertically movable in the inner grooves, longitudinallymovable bars in the external end grooves provided with ears engaging the ends of the partitions, an inverted-tray-shaped cover seated removably in the case, a bar extending across the top of the said cover and formed with horizontal end extensions sliding in the external side grooves, and stops limiting the movement of said extensions as set forth.

HENRY S. JENNE.

Witnesses:

J. T. DURHAM, EVA lVIOKENNA. 

